I Swear I'm Not Broken (Just Don't Look Too Close)
by Sealure
Summary: "The brightest smiles can hide the most broken hearts..." It was supposed to be an ordinary Paladin bonding exercise. But Lance hides an awful lot behind that smile. When the mask is broken, can the rest of them piece their Blue Paladin back together again? Family feels and lots of Langst. T FOR CHILD ABUSE. PLEASE READ RESPONSIBLY AND CHECK THE ENDING AN!
1. I'm Sorry, I Swear I didn't Mean To

**Hallooo!**

 **So, this is a Voltron thing, but it has nothing to do with I'll Leave the Love. Sorry! Chapter six is well under way, though, so be happy!**

 **Now down to business.**

 **This is a take on the classic "Lance was abused at home" prompt. My friend asked me to write it, and the conditions were "No siblings, mother has passed away, dad at the bottom of a bottle. And _no romance!_ " **

**TRIGGER WARNINGS: Drunk father, CHILD ABUSE. NOT MILD. I don't want to give anything away up here, but the ENDING AN HAS A MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION IF YOU WANT TO SKIP AHEAD AND MAKE SURE YOU'LL BE GOOD. IF THIS WILL TRIGGER YOU, PLEASE DON'T READ IT.**

 **Spoilers: Just the general idea of the show. Nothing particular.**

 **PLEASE READ RESPONSIBLY AND CHECK THE ENDING AN TO MAKE SURE THIS WON'T UPSET YOU!**

* * *

 _I Swear I'm Not Broken (Just Don't Look Too Close)_

* * *

The five Paladins were sitting in a circle, cross legged on the floor of the training deck, a box full of mind-meld headsets in the middle.

Allura had dragged them all out of bed early this morning, determined to strengthen their mental bond.

"When you fight, you work together brilliantly," she said over the speakers from where she and Coran sat in the control room. "But mentally, emotionally, you're still so distant from each other. Hopefully, this will change that. Everyone grab a headset."

Shiro grabbed one and shoved the box to Keith. "This should be interesting," he said with a grin.

Keith rolled his eyes. "Right," he muttered. "I'll get to see just how empty Lance's head really is."

"Hey!" the Cuban boy shot him a glare. "I resent that!"

"Paper airplane, Lance," Keith deadpanned.

Lance's eyes flashed, and Hunk quickly broke in. "I think it'll be great for us all to get to know each other better," he said, "especially since we don't have to worry about all those crazy secrets anymore."

Pidge cleared her throat. "Um, yeah." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry about that."

Lance instantly softened, reaching over and mussing her hair. "Don't sweat it, Pidgey."

She glared at him. "I've told you a thousand times not to call me that, you idiot!"

Shiro tried to bite back his chuckle at the highly offended look the Blue Paladin was giving Pidge. "Okay, guys, settle down. Everybody grab a headset."

Hunk, Pidge and Keith did so immediately, but Lance swallowed hard before he pulled his on.

"Alright, good," Coran said. "Now I'm going to start with something simple and happy. Shiro, we'll start with you. What is waiting for you back on Earth?"

A smile lit up his face. "My parents," he said instantly. The images that whirled by in front of him all consisted of Shiro himself, a man, and a woman. Keith featured in a fair number of them. The stream of memories finally froze on a still image, like a picture. It featured himself and his parents. His dad was about his height, but his mom was well over a foot shorter than both of them. The man's hair was starting to turn gray, and he wore a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. The woman's eyes were sparkling with laughter, and the lines on her face were clear outlines of how often she smiled. Shiro himself had an arm slung over both of their shoulders, which just emphasized the height difference even more. They were all in shorts and t-shirts and beaming happily.

Shiro reached out and gently punched Keith's shoulder. "And this guy."

Keith ducked his head and muttered something, but none of them missed his tiny, pleased smile.

"Keith?" Allura asked.

Keith swallowed hard and ducked his head. Another burst of images whizzed by, some happy and most of them very decidedly not.

* * *

 _A tiny child playing with his parents... A young man, angry and alone, being sent back to a cold, brick building with the words "Not a good fit" ringing in his ears_ …

* * *

Finally, a memory came up, of Keith walking sleepily into a kitchen. Shiro's mother suddenly bustled onto the scene, fussing, and had Keith seated at the table with a plateful of food before he knew what had happened. Shiro's dad and Shiro himself wandered in and were given the same treatment.

"You live with Shiro?" Lance said, sounding surprised.

Keith stared at his hands as he nodded. "I'm an—" he swallowed again. "I'm an orphan."

There were some sharp inhalations from around the circle, and Keith flinched minutely.

"Hey, dude," Lance said, voice gentle. "Look at me?"

Keith peeked up at him through his bangs.

Lance smiled, bright and warm. "That's totally chill, man. Doesn't make any difference to me. The stuff you've been through, the good and the bad…that's what makes you _you._ And—"he grimaced. "—and I'm never going to say this again, so listen up—I happen to think that you're a pretty awesome guy. So, yeah." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Keith stared at him for a moment, and then a tiny smile pulled at his mouth. "Thanks, Cargo Pilot," he muttered.

Lance snorted. "Oh, shut up, Mullet."

"That was very brave, Keith," Coran said warmly. "Next up: Pidge!"

Pidge laughed, and then started shooting memories by them so fast they could barely keep up. There was an overwhelming impression of laughter and light and love. There were computer screens and made-up languages, and secret messages even when the boys were on a mission. The stream froze on the image they were all familiar with by now, Matt standing in full uniform with Pidge under his arm.

"Very cool, dude," Hunk said with a huge grin.

"Glad you think so, Hunk, because you're next!" Allura said cheerfully.

"Oh," Hunk blinked. "Um, okay."

He concentrated for a long minute, and slowly, his memories came to life before them. There were a lot of Hunk and his parents cooking together, and way too many of Hunk sitting by himself in school, other kids pointing fingers at him and laughing. Abruptly, a larger image formed in the center of the circle.

"Whoa, what's happening?!" Hunk said nervously.

"This is marvelous, Hunk!" Allura said. "This memory is very valuable to you, and you were able to connect so deeply with your fellow paladins that it's almost like it's their own memory! Not only will you be able to watch the memory as though it were happening in front of you, you'll be able to hear everything that goes on as well!"

"Oh," Hunk blinked, and all of a sudden, the memory started.

* * *

 _There was a large group of children on a school playground._

 _Hunk was sitting by himself on the swings when a group of kids noticed him and wandered over. A boy even taller than Hunk shoved him to the ground. The boy's little gang of minions burst into laughter, but it didn't last long. A blurry shape flew over Hunk and slammed the bully into the ground, letting loose with a very, very passionate flood of Spanish._

 _The bullies' friends shook off their shock and let out yells of their own, jumping forward and grabbing the other kid, holding him up in the air._

 _The tiny explosion—also known as Lance McClain—was being held off the ground by his shirt collar, and did not appear to care. He was still spitting mad, yelling in Spanish and punching and kicking anything that got close enough. When the bullies made to move toward Hunk again, Lance twisted his lithe body into an inhuman position and bit the boy still holding him up. The boy let go with a shout of pain, and Lance threw himself back into the mix._

 _When all was said and done, Lance had a black eye, a split lip, scraped hands and knees, and he was limping. But his eyes were still sparkling as he pulled Hunk up, babbling away a mile a minute in Spanish as the bullies sprinted for the school building._

* * *

Hunk roared with laughter as Lance buried his head in his hands and groaned.

"And that's how I met Lance," Hunk gasped out.

"Whoa," Pidge said, eyes wide. She turned to look at Lance. "You're even tinier than I am!"

Lance just slumped farther towards the floor. "I know," he moaned. "My ribs hurt for _weeks_ after that."

Hunk instantly sobered. "Hey, man, I'm sorry," he started, but Lance peeked up at him with those same sparkling eyes.

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat," he said, and Hunk gave him a brilliant smile.

"I know," he said.

Keith gaped at him. "You were like, less than a third of their size!" he said sharply. "What were you thinking?!"

Lance shrugged. "That I didn't like it when they picked on others."

Hunk snorted. "Lance, I have yet to meet another person who's been bullied and made fun of as often as you. It's not even funny anymore, dude."

Lance just grinned. "Aw, I can take 'em."

Shiro shook his head. "How old were you?" he asked softly.

Lance squinted for a second. "Um, six?"

Allura sighed. "We really need to work on your self-sacrificing tendencies, Lance," she said fondly.

"I'll say!" Coran grumbled.

He laughed. "As you wish, Princess," he said with a wink towards the window.

She huffed. "Yes, yes. It's your turn now! What's waiting for you when you get home?"

Lance's eyes widened for a heartbeat and he swallowed hard. "Nah, we don't need to do me," he argued weakly.

Keith glared at him. "I had to do it, you have to do it," he said.

Lance set his jaw. "I'd really rather not," he said carefully.

Keith shot to his feet. "Well, too bad!" he shouted. "The rest of us had to do it, so deal with it, you idiotic—"

"Keith!" Shiro said sharply. He probably would have said more, but all Lance could hear was the blood pounding in his ears.

Lance's chest heaved as his eyes went distant, and a memory formed between them.

* * *

 _The house was basically a trailer. Two extra rooms and a large porch had been built on to it, but it was obviously in disrepair. There was a young boy, no more than thirteen, pulling up weeds and digging holes for fenceposts in the backyard._

 _A door slammed._

" _Get in here, you idiotic, worthless waste of air!" slurred a furious male voice._

 _Lance's head shot up, and he scrambled to his feet. His face was streaked with dirt, and there was a fading bruise on his cheekbone. His chocolate-colored hair almost reached his shoulders in thick, tangled curls. He was alarmingly thin, and his much-too-large t-shirt slipped off of one shoulder as he sprinted barefoot across the yard towards the trailer._

" _Coming, Papa!" he shouted._

 _He burst through the door, jumping over piles of trash on the floor until he reached the kitchen. There was a man there, tall and tan, with bleary eyes. He was clutching a bottle of whiskey, and he tilted it back and drained it in three long pulls._

 _Then he wound his arm back and flung it at the boy with deadly accuracy._

 _Lance hit the floor with a quiet gasp, and the bottle shattered against the wall. Glass rained down on his head._

" _Where's dinner?" the man growled, collapsing into a chair at the rickety table._

 _Lance pulled himself upright, running shaking fingers through his hair to get out the glass fragments. "I put it in the oven to keep it warm, sir," he said softly._

 _The man sniffed. "And is it supposed to magically serve itself?"_

" _No, sir," Lance whispered. He hurried to the sink and scrubbed his hands clean before pulling a casserole dish out of the oven. He served up a massive portion onto a plate and set it down before the man._

" _I'll be right back with your drink," he said, and he hurried out onto the porch, pulling two bottles of beer out of the icebox. He quickly returned and put them on the table for his father._

 _He grabbed another plate out of the cabinet and made to put food on it, but the man interrupted him._

" _What do you think you're doing?" he snapped, fingers tightening around the neck of the bottle._

 _Lance's fingers started to tremble. "I was getting some supper, Papa," he said._

 _The man's face flushed in anger. "And what makes you think you deserve to eat tonight?" he shouted._

 _Lance swallowed hard. "I got all of the weeds out of the front flowerbed," he said, "and I only have two more holes to dig tomorrow before the fence can be put in."_

 _The man's eyes bugged out. "You didn't finish your chores?!" he bellowed, standing up so abruptly that his chair flipped over._

 _Lance's face went white, and he flew backwards until he crashed into the wall and could go no further. "I-I'm sorry, sir, I tried, I—"_

" _Sorry?! SORRY?! You're about to be sorry!" the man unbuckled his belt, and Lance slid along the wall towards the door._

" _Please, Papa, I'm sorry!" he begged, desperately. "Please don't! I swear I'll do better! I can do better! I'll do more tomorrow! Please don't punish me!"_

" _If you weren't so useless and stupid, I wouldn't have to," the man said, pulling his belt free. "You're not worth the air you breathe, boy, and you're a failure. You can't do anything right, not even follow directions. Your mother—" the man's voice broke, and he cleared his throat before continuing. "Your mother was too kind to tell you that. But she's not here anymore." His eyes hardened again, and he reached out, grabbing Lance's hair and dragging him to him. He ripped the boy's shirt off and flung him to the floor._

 _Lance's chest was horrifyingly thin, and all of his ribs could be seen. His torso was littered with bruises and scars, both old and new. He hit the floor hard, barely catching himself on his hands._

" _Please, Papa!" He said again, voice breaking. "Mama said—"_

" _You dare speak of her?!" the man screamed._

 _The belt hissed through the air._

 _It cracked over Lance's back, but the boy didn't make a single sound of pain. His fingers clawed into the kitchen floor, and tears welled in his eyes, but he didn't make a single sound._

" _You killed her!" The man screamed, belt rising and falling and striking over and over and over. "She's dead because of you!"_

" _No!" Lance sobbed._

" _Yes! You! Did!" the man punctuated every word with another blow. The boy's back was already bright red, numerous welts streaking into existence._

" _If it weren't for you, she'd still be with me!" the man heaved the belt down on the boy's back with enough force to split the skin. Again and again he brought it down, and blood began to drip down his back._

 _Lance bit through his lip, and blood started dripping down his chin._

 _The man stopped—at last, at last!—and lowered the belt._

 _Lance's whole body was shaking in pain, and blood was now running down his arms in rivulets to pool on the floor._

" _I'm sorry, Papa," he whispered, voice hoarse. "I didn't mean to kill Mama." His voice broke, and more tears streamed down his face._

 _The man's face contorted with rage. "I told you to never speak her name!"_

 _He brought the belt down again, but this time, he struck the boy with the buckled end._

 _Lance finally screamed._

 _The man beat him a few more minutes before throwing the belt down and grabbing his bottle. He drained it in moments._

 _Then he smashed it over the back of Lance's skull, and the boy's eyes rolled back in his head as he collapsed to the bloodstained floor._

 _When the boy awoke, his father was sitting at the table, halfway through his second bottle. The dinner dishes were in the sink, and the casserole had been put away._

 _Lance slowly pushed himself up to his hands and knees, and his father kicked his shirt over wordlessly._

" _Thank you, Papa," Lance said, voice hoarse from his earlier screams. He slowly and carefully eased his shirt back on, paling and trying not to cry out as the rough fabric dragged painfully over his ruined back._

" _Get that mess cleaned up," the man said quietly, gesturing to the blood on the floor, "and wash the dishes. I'll want to put in that fence tomorrow, so finish digging those holes first thing."_

" _Yes sir," Lance said quietly. He stood up, and nearly collapsed. Using the wall to support himself, he staggered over to the sink and rummaged around underneath it until he came up with a roll of paper towels and several bottles of cleaner._

 _He tried to stand again and failed, so he just crawled back to the puddle of blood._

 _He started to scrub at the stains, using different cleaners to get up as much of it as he could._

" _Sing for me, Lancito," the man said gruffly, tilting his bottle back and taking a long drink._

 _So Lance did. His soft, beautiful voice filled the room, singing a lullaby in Spanish. His gentle voice, combined with the rhythmic scrubbing of the floor, was enough to send the man into a deep, peaceful sleep._

 _Lance struggled to his feet, falling twice before he managed to find his balance._

 _He walked out of the room for a moment, then came back with a blanket. He carefully wrapped it around the man before turning and letting out the water in the sink._

 _"Now where did I put the bandages last time?" he muttered to himself. He snapped his fingers. "Oh, yeah!"_

 _He limped out of the kitchen, blood spreading across the back of his shirt like a twisted painting._

* * *

Lance threw the headset to the floor, gasping and staggering to his feet. His face was white.

"I-I'm so sorry," he stammered. "You weren't—I didn't—"

"Lance—" Shiro started, standing and reaching for him.

The boy flinched.

Shiro could feel the blood draining from his face. Lance had flinched away from him. Lance was _afraid_ of him.

"I'm—I'm sorry," Lance whispered, and then he fled.

Shiro made a move to follow him, but Hunk held up his hand.

"Just…give him some time," the Yellow Paladin said quietly. "He'll come back when he's ready."

Pidge looked like she was about to be sick. "Did you—did you know?" she croaked.

Hunk's eyes flooded with tears. " _No,_ " he rasped out, burying his face in his hands. "No, I—That's…Oh, God. That was a nightmare. I don't—how? How could anyone ever treat him like that?"

"I don't—I don't know," Shiro swallowed hard, feeling pretty ill himself. "He…he flinched away from me."

"No!" Hunk's head snapped up. "No, Shiro. Not from you. He flinched away from _everyone_ for _years._ I—" He took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "I suspected that something like this had happened in the past, but whenever I asked, he just gave me this big, warm smile and told me that he was fine, but it meant the world to him that I cared enough to ask."

"I called him an idiot," Keith said faintly, face so pale it was nearly translucent. "His dad…I called him an idiot." His legs gave out, and he crashed to the floor, shaking. "I triggered that. Oh God, he must hate me now." His fingers dug into his hair.

"No," Pidge crawled across the floor and wedged herself into Keith's lap. "No, no, and no. Stop it. You call Lance an idiot all the time. _I_ call Lance an idiot all the time. Lance calls _you_ an idiot all the time. It wasn't your fault. It was just the whole situation. It's not your fault, Keith. Lance doesn't hate you. It's just not in his nature to hold a grudge. He'll forgive you, I promise."

The door opened, and Allura sprinted in, tear tracks clear on her face.

"I can't find him!" she cried, shoulders still shaking with sobs. "I didn't mean—I never intended—"

Shiro wrapped her in his arms. "He knows that," he assured her. "He knows that. He just…"

"He just needs some time, guys," Hunk said tearfully. "Whenever something really upsets him, he hides. But he always comes back and faces it. He just needs some time."

Coran came running in, panting and just as white as the rest of them. "Nothing," he said. "He's not in Blue's hangar, he's not in his room or the bridge or the observation deck or—" he shook his head. "I can't find him anywhere."

Hunk sobbed. "He'll come back when he's ready," he repeated.

Allura broke down in Shiro's arms. "He is a _child_ ," she gasped. "And he still looked up at that—that _monster_ with _love_. How? How could anyone lay a hand on a boy so bright and loving?"

Shiro felt tears sting his own eyes. "I don't know," he answered hoarsely.

"Why didn't he tell us?" Keith whispered, clinging to Pidge.

"Because thanks to Iverson, his self-esteem is currently hiding somewhere down next to the Earth's core," Pidge answered. She sniffed, and tucked her head into Keith's shoulder. "And apparently, his dad has been conditioning him to think he's worthless for his whole life." Her shoulders started shaking.

Keith looked down at her. "Wait. What about Iverson?"

Pidge's eyes widened. "Oops," she muttered.

Hunk sniffed. "Iverson hated Lance," he said. "I don't know or understand why. But he hated him with a passion. He was always super hard on him, always trying to make sure that he failed. I remember one time Iverson went around the school, personally informing every one of his trainees that there was going to be a test on the last day of the week. I thought it was weird that he didn't just announce it in one of the sessions, but I didn't really think anything of it until Lance asked me what I was studying for."

Shiro clenched his fists. "He didn't tell Lance."

Coran let out a sharp word in Altean.

Hunk shook his head wordlessly. "He didn't sleep for two days, but he passed that stupid exam with a 100. Only person in our age group to score that high. Iverson was furious. Two days later, the class rosters came out. He made sure Lance only made it to cargo."

Keith's mouth dropped open. "Iverson personally recommended me for fighter class," he said. "I had no idea…"

Shiro looked like he was about to explode. "How did none of the other faculty members notice this?!" he growled.

Hunk sighed. "I don't know. We didn't realize what had happened until it was already too late. And Lance looked so scared when he didn't make fighter…I guess now we know why."

Coran closed his eyes. "His father must have been expecting him to make the fighter class."

Pidge sobbed. "After you dropped out, Keith, Iverson made a point of always asking Lance, 'Why can't you be more like Keith?' He never missed a chance to put him down or criticize him."

Allura was shaking with rage. "This Iverson," she bit out. "An instructor at your Earthen flight school?"

Shiro was pacing, Pidge was curled up in a tiny ball on Keith's lap, and Keith himself was actually in tears, so Hunk answered her.

"Yeah," he said. "Iverson was the Garrison Commander."

"When we take you back to Earth," she hissed, "I am going to teach that wretched slug a lesson." Her hands clenched into fists.

Hunk's eyes lit up even as they filled with tears, and he all but tackled Allura in a bear hug. "Thank you," he whispered. "I know that to you, this seems like the only course of action and the obvious right thing to do. But to Lance, this will mean the world."

Shiro dropped a hand on Hunk's shoulder. "She won't be alone," he said. "I am going to use every drop of influence I have to make sure that Iverson is utterly ruined."

"I can testify," Keith said hoarsely. "He wrote a letter of recommendation for me. Three other instructors had expressed concerns about me. Not in a mean way, but legitimate concerns, like reckless flying, disrespectful attitude towards orders, things like that. They had suggested that I take another year of basic training before trying for fighter class again. Iverson overruled all of that and sent me straight through."

Shiro nodded, grimly satisfied.

"Perfect," Allura said strongly.

Coran smiled sharply. "And don't forget: Allura is a royal. A _visiting_ royal. Once we land back on Earth, there will have to be negotiations, treaties, terms and conditions. The complete and utter ruination of this man should be easy to accomplish."

Hunk beamed at all of them. "Thank you guys, so, so much," he said. "And Keith?"

The raven-haired boy looked up.

"Lance never hated you," Hunk said. "He hated himself, for not being good enough to keep up with you."

"He was always good enough," Keith said hoarsely. " _Always_. He is a brilliant pilot, and we never would have even gotten off of Earth without him. He's got the biggest heart out of anyone I've ever met, and he cares _so much_ about all of us. I don't know what we'd do without him."

Shiro crouched next to Keith and put his arm around him. "We need to tell him that," he said softly. "I think we've all been taking advantage of Lance's big heart and forgiving nature. He makes us laugh and relax with all those jokes and puns, but we don't reciprocate. He makes sure that we're all okay, but we never even ask him how he's doing."

"Lance is the Blue Paladin," Allura said softly. "The Blue Lion is the heart of Voltron. She is compassionate, loving, accepting, and encouraging. Her Paladin must match all of these characteristics." She raised her head, tears shining in her eyes. "Her previous Paladin came from a home much like Lance's. They give love because they know what it feels like to never receive it. They have compassion, because they know what happens to people without any. They are always willing to sacrifice themselves to save the others, because they know what it feels like to left alone with no hope of rescue." She wiped her eyes. "Lance is the heart of this team. Without him, we would all fail. I think we need to remind him of that, and assure him that we think no less of him in light of these new developments."

"All that's well and good, and it definitely needs to be done," Pidge said, sitting up and wiping her own face. "But we need to think long-term here, too."

"What do you mean?" Keith looked down at her, but Hunk nodded in agreement.

"When we get back to Earth," the Yellow Paladin said. "Where's Lance gonna go?"

"He's not going back to that man," Keith said instantly. "Never again."

Allura nodded firmly. "Ever. I will end that wretched creature's life should he ever dare to lay one finger upon _my_ Paladin again."

"If all else fails," Coran said. "He can stay with us, here in the Castle."

"He can come home with us," Shiro said, squeezing Keith's shoulder. "If you're okay with that?"

"Yes!" Keith scrubbed his tears away. "God, yes. Just—anything that gets him _out._ I lived with my dad until I was seven. He passed away from cancer, but I never doubted for one second that he really did love me. And yeah, I was in some seriously crappy foster homes, but those weren't permanent. I always knew that I could get out, that somebody would save me. Lance didn't have that. And the man beating him wasn't some stranger. It was his _father._ That's just…that's so messed up. But he's got us now, and he is _never_ going back there. Or to the Garrison." His fists clenched. "Iverson used me to hurt him, and that is _so not okay._ "

Pidge nodded tearfully. "When we get back to Earth," she said. "I am going to hack every piece of technology that Iverson has. I am going to implant a different virus in every single file on every single piece of technology he possesses. And every time he tries to transfer something to a new machine, the virus will just follow and multiply. If he wipes it all and gets a new machine, I'll be alerted and I will do the exact same thing over and over until the day he dies." Her fists clenched. "As for Lance's father…don't know what I'm going to do just yet. But it will be drastic."

"Whatever it is, count me in," Keith said, eyes burning.

Shiro nodded firmly.

Hunk raised an eyebrow. "Not gonna tell us that's petty and vengeful and vengeance never helped anyone?"

"Nope," Shiro clenched his jaw. "I'm going to put out a nation-wide notice on the man and get him arrested for the rest of his life."

Three pairs of eyes widened, and Allura nodded, satisfied. "That's a good start," she said. "Now, Hunk? I realize that you said he would come back, but…" she wrung her hands. "I need to find him. Please?"

"Yeah, me, too," Pidge shot to her feet. "I'm gonna check all the cameras!"

Hunk nodded. "That's as good a place to start as any, because I don't know where he hides. I can never find him."

Allura took a deep breath. "Shiro, with me. Let's check the Lions again."

"I'll get the kitchen and the bedrooms!" Hunk said as Shiro nodded.

"I'll check the bridge and medical bays," Coran said. "Lots of little nooks to tuck away in."

Keith nodded. "I'll take the observation decks and the garden level."

"Alright, guys," Shiro said. "Let's find our boy."

* * *

"Any particular reason you wanted to check the Lions?" Shiro asked Allura as they jogged down the hallway.

Allura nodded. "Yes. The mice went down there earlier this morning. I can tell that they're all still there, and they're very upset about something, but they won't tell me what. I think they might be with Lance."

Shiro shook his head. "I still can't believe it," he said softly. "I don't _want_ to believe it. Even thinking about someone being cruel to him…"

"I know," Allura said, just as quiet. "I never really thought all that much about Lance, to be honest with you. But seeing someone hurt him…all I could think about was his bright smile, his joyful laugh, and his great, compassionate heart. And all of a sudden, hurting him, making that smile disappear, seemed like the most wretched crime in all the universe."

"I'm pretty much the same," Shiro replied, punching the floor number into the elevator controls. The lift started to move, and he let his head thunk back against the wall. "I know Pidge through Matt and Commander Holt's stories. I obviously know Keith. I've gotten to know Hunk over the last few weeks. But Lance…I just kind of wrote him off as a jokester. I never…I never really took him seriously."

Allura wiped her eyes. "It never even occurred to me to check on him. Blaytz—the former Blue Paladin—was _just like_ Lance. He joked, he flirted, he was just _infuriating_ at times. But he used all of that as a mask, to hide just how broken he was on the inside."

"Lance isn't broken," Shiro said sharply.

Allura looked at him with old eyes. "Then why does he wear the mask?"

Shiro couldn't answer her.

* * *

They arrived at Blue's hangar as quickly as they could. Her particle barrier was up.

"They don't usually have their barriers up," Allura said, eyes shining. "I was right. He's in there. She's protecting him, hiding him. Blaytz used to do the same thing."

She ran to the barrier. "I know you can hear me, Blue," she said. "And I know you remember me. Remember what we used to do with Blaytz. Please, let me in. Don't let him be alone with his pain."

Blue's eyes lit up, and her head tilted ever so slightly.

Shiro stepped forwards, pressing both hands against the barrier. "I want to help him," he said, voice hoarse. "No matter where or what he comes from, he's one of ours, and we love him. Please, I need—I need to see him. I need to know that he's okay."

There was a moment of silence, and then the particle barrier fell, and Blue's mouth opened.

"Thank you," Shiro gasped, and he and Allura rocketed into the cockpit. Shiro slammed to a stop just outside the door.

"Lance?" he called. "It's Shiro and Allura. Can we come in?"

There was no answer.

"Please?!"

Allura's fingers twisted around Shiro's.

"Lance," she said, soft but urgent. "May we come in, please?"

Silence for a long moment, and then…

"Yes." It was so quiet that they almost missed it.

Allura hurried in, then stopped and let out a soft sound. Shiro looked around her and felt his heart squeeze.

Lance was curled up in a tiny ball on the far side of the cockpit, wrapped up in a blanket. He looked so very small.

Allura crouched down in front of him. "Oh, Lance," she whispered, voice choked with tears. "I'm so sorry. Hunk told us that you just needed some time, but I just…I needed to see you. Are you alright?"

He peeked up at her through his bangs. "I'm fine," he said softly.

Allura snorted softly. "For the love of…"

She moved towards him again—slowly!—and ever-so-carefully wrapped her arm around his too-thin shoulders. She pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head.

Shiro took her place in front of the boy.

"Hey, kiddo," he said quietly. He held out his hands, palms up, and Lance placed his own on top. Shiro felt tears sting his eyes at how hard Lance's hands were trembling. "Can you look at me, buddy?"

Lance raised his head just enough to meet Shiro's eyes, and he smiled.

"There are those baby blues," he teased lightly, and was rewarded with a soft huff of laughter. Shiro gently wrapped his fingers around Lance's wrists, keeping his grip loose enough that the boy could easily get away if he wanted to. There was a tiny, aborted flinch, but Lance didn't pull away.

"Lance," Shiro said. "He was wrong. I want to get that point across right now. Your father was very, very wrong. You are not stupid. You are not useless, and you are most certainly not a failure."

Lance closed his eyes and bowed his head, but not before a tear escaped and ran down his cheek.

"Oh, Lance," Shiro whispered, exchanging heartbroken looks with Allura.

She pulled him closer and kissed his head again. "I never told you what the Blue Lion represents," she said.

Lance shook his head. "Don't," he said wearily. "I don't wanna—"

"She is the heart of Voltron," Allura went on as though he hadn't spoken.

Lance inhaled sharply, and his eyes went wide.

Allura stroked his hair and continued softly. "She is encouraging, accepting of others, compassionate, loving, and forgiving. Much like you."

"I'm not," Lance rasped, entire body shaking very bad now. "I'm a failure, I'm worthless, I don't deserve to live—"

Shiro could feel his heart shattering.

He reached forwards, carefully grabbing Lance's shoulders and making him meet his eyes. "Don't say that," he whispered fiercely. "Don't you ever say that, and don't you _ever_ let _anyone_ tell you that. I don't care what your father said. You are absolutely vital to us, Lance. You are utterly irreplaceable in every sense of the word. Your puns and jokes make us laugh—or groan, as the case may be—and your loving heart and beautiful smile brighten even the darkest days. We would be completely screwed without you, Lance."

Tears swam in those blue eyes.

Allura took over. "Your undying loyalty to your teammates make each one of them feel valued and cherished. You cook with Hunk, train with Keith, and you let Pidge babble for hours about things that I could never even begin to comprehend. You clean the Castle with Coran, and I know how simple that sounds, but believe me when I tell you that it means more to him than you will ever know. Your flirting with me, while annoying at first, has become endearing and sweet. Your compliments are valid and from the heart, and knowing that you think that highly of me…" she shrugged. "It would be a lie to say it does not make me smile and feel better about myself."

"I thought I just annoyed you," Lance whispered, curling closer to her.

She wrapped both arms around him, and Shiro did the same from the boy's other side.

"You are not an annoyance, Lance," Shiro said. "You lift our spirits and remind us that we're more than just soldiers. You make the others laugh, and act like the kids that they still are."

Allura gently turned his head and met his eyes. "You matter, Lance McClain," she said quietly. "You matter. You are important. You are needed. And above all, remember this, Little One: You are loved."

With a strangled cry, the broken boy buried his face in Allura's shoulder and started sobbing. She ran her fingers through his hair.

"I love you," she whispered firmly. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

Shiro pressed a fatherly kiss to the boy's head and held him tighter.

"I love you," he murmured, rocking them gently back and forth. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

They said it over and over and over, and didn't even try to fight their own tears.

The three of them stayed there for a long time.

* * *

Finally, Lance's tears slowed, but he didn't let go of them, and they didn't let go of him.

"Thank you," he whispered after a while. "I'm sorry for crying all over your dress, Allura."

"Ah, it needed a wash anyways," she said, stroking his hair again. "Feel better?"

He nodded. "I really do," he said. "I always knew that not everything he said was right, but at the same time…Papa said it. And I just…" he laughed wetly. "He's still my Papa. I still love him."

Shiro kissed his head. "That you can still say that, after everything he put you through, is absolutely incredible."

Lance blushed, but there was a tiny, pleased smile on his face. "Thanks, Shiro," he said.

Shiro tousled his hair. "Anytime, kiddo."

Allura smiled. "I realize that one day and one good cry is not enough to fully banish a lifetime's worth of pain," she said. "But Lance, we love you."

Shiro grinned. "And our arms will always be open to you," he said. "Always. That's a promise, little brother."

Lance teared up and tackled him. Shiro caught him with a laugh, and then Allura joined in.

"Thanks, Space Dad," Lance said with an impish grin, and Shiro's look of mock outrage had Lance and Allura laughing out loud.

Lance's smile was back, and his eyes were bright.

Allura kissed his cheek. "You're ours now," she said. "And we will never, ever let you go."

"You know what?" Lance looked back and forth between them. "I think I believe you."

Shiro nodded. "Good," he said firmly. "Now, first thing's first. You are the size of a toothpick." He reached out and poked Lance in the stomach, making Lance squeal and jerk away.

Allura got a wicked grin, and Lance's eyes widened. "Oh, no," he said in mock terror.

"Oh, yes," the Princess answered.

She lunged for him, and he shot to his feet and took off down the hallway.

"HUNK! SAVE MEEEEEE!" Lance wailed, waving his arms frantically.

Allura and Shiro sprinted after him, both of them laughing.

Lance looked back over his shoulder. His smile was wide, and his eyes were sparkling, and for the first time since they'd known him, he looked completely and totally content.

He sprinted around a corner, and there was a cacophony of yelps and thuds and crashes, and then Lance's laughter was ringing out through the hallways.

Shiro and Allura skidded to a stop at the scene before them.

Hunk, Pidge, Keith, and Coran had been running towards them, having heard Lance's scream, and the five had crashed into each other, ending up in a tangled heap on the floor.

Allura gave a battle cry and tackled Lance, prompting him to laughingly shriek and try to get away.

"LANCE!" five voices chorused in various degrees of worry.

"Keith!" he squawked, latching on to the closest Paladin. "She's after me!"

"Wh—Allura?!" The Red Paladin was utterly baffled, but Shiro's heart warmed at the way he instantly put himself between Lance and his "enemy". "Um…I'm confused?"

The Black Paladin threw back his head and roared with laughter. "Don't worry about it," he said. "She's not actually after him."

Lance gave him a highly offended look. "I beg to differ! You horrid person."

Keith snorted in spite of himself, then his mind seemed to catch up with who, exactly, was behind him. "Lance!" His eyes widened as he spun around to face his Blue counterpart.

"Ye-es?" Lance tilted his head.

"Are you—you're—you look—are you good?" Keith stuttered.

Lance looked confused for a heartbeat longer, and then a tiny, genuine, _beautiful_ smile pulled at his mouth, and his eyes softened. "Not really," he said with a shrug. "But I think I can get there."

Keith's shoulders sagged in obvious relief. "That's good," he said. "But if you ever need—that is, if you—I'm— I know I'm not really the best at stuff like this, and I'll probably be super blunt and unhelpful and it's more likely than not that I'll say something stupid and hurt you, but—"

Lance's smile widened. Then he shot forward, arms winding around Keith's neck.

Keith's eyes got very wide for a moment, and he went as stiff as a board. But as Lance felt it and started to let go, the older boy wrapped his own arms around Lance's waist, _tight_ , and Lance basically melted into the hug.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Keith just squeezed him once and let go, bright red and rubbing the back of his neck. "Um, don't mention it," he said.

Lance grinned at him, and opened his mouth—probably to tease him—but was cut off by Pidge tackling him to the floor.

"I'm sorry for every time I ever called you an idiot!" she sobbed. "I swear I didn't mean it! I—you—I think you're brilliant! I really do. You're not _my_ kind of smart, but you're _people_ smart, and honestly, I think that's a lot more helpful in general. I'm so—"

"Hey, hey, whoa," Lance sat up, running his hand up and down her back. "It's okay, Pidgeon."

"It is _not_!" she pulled back to glare at him and punched his shoulder. Then she realized what she'd done and turned white. "I'm—I didn't—"

Lance snorted and punched her back. "I'm still me, Pidge. And I know you. All of you. I know you're not going to hurt me. I'm not gonna start flinching at every move you make around me."

She regained some color and nodded. "Of course not. I'm sorry, that was foolish of me." Her honey colored eyes took on a decidedly mischievous gleam. "So…you wouldn't be averse to me waking you up by jumping up and down on top of you and screaming profanities at one o'clock in the morning?"

He glared. "So help me, I _will_ jettison you out of the airlock—"

A tiny, relieved smile stretched over her face, and she dove back in for another hug. "You're not Matt," she told him, "but you're still my big brother, and I love you. I know I don't really show it a lot, but…you mean a heck of a lot to me, Lance."

Lance closed his eyes and kissed the top of her head. "You mean a heck of a lot to me, too, Kit Kat," he whispered.

She rolled her eyes and jabbed him in the ribs, but didn't let go. "I told you not to call me that," she muttered.

Lance grinned and shrugged unrepentantly. "Hey, you didn't shock my teeth out with your bayard," he retorted. "For you, that's basically a written invitation."

She muttered some more, but dropped a gentle kiss on his forehead before she got up.

Hunk was next, and he didn't say anything. He just pulled Lance into his arms and held him _tight._ And Lance clung to him like his very soul depended on it. The slender boy's shoulders started shaking again, and Keith made a sharp, unhappy sound.

"No, no," Hunk reassured quietly. "These are good tears."

Keith nodded, looking relieved.

Then Pidge sniffed.

"Screw you, Lance," she muttered, scrubbing at her eyes.

Both Lance and Hunk started laughing, even as Lance's tears continued to fall.

Keith looked confused again, and Pidge grumped out, "He's making me cry!"

Lance snorted and raised one arm without moving from Hunk's embrace. Pidge darted under it and snuggled into his chest.

Keith hesitated a moment too long, and Lance's other hand twisted into his jacket and dragged him in as well.

Shiro's heart warmed to see them, all wrapped around each other and practically oozing family and happiness and love.

Coran burst into loud, messy sobs and dove into the hug as well, followed by Allura, her eyes sparkling. She held out a hand to Shiro, and he took it, kneeling down next to Keith. He dropped a kiss to his head, then leaned over and pressed his forehead against Lance's.

"We are your family now," he said, soft and gentle and Lance's eyes _shone._

"Okay," he said. "Okay."

* * *

 **Okay, so the abuse is basically his dad beating him with both ends of a belt until he bleeds. He also throws a beer bottle at him (doesn't hit him) and knocks him out by breaking one over his head. That's it. IF THAT WILL TRIGGER YOU, AGAIN, PLEASE DON'T READ! I would hate to really upset somebody with this!**

 **So yeah, there's that! Just a little plot bunny that bit my foot and wouldn't let go.**

 **Um, there is one thing I think I'm just gonna try to head off before I inevitably get somebody asking me this: "Why did Keith blush after he hugged Lance?"**

 **THIS IS NOT ROMANCE, Y'ALL. KEITH JUST HAS THE SOCIAL SKILLS OF A PIECE OF GRANITE. He's blushing because he did something waaayyyy out of his comfort zone, and he's feeling super awkward and unsure.**

 **Got it? Good!**

 **So!**

 **Chapter six of I'll Leave the Love should be out in the next couple of days. I know, I know, I keep saying this, but I can (finally!) give you a definite: Thursday at the absolute latest.**

 **You guys have been so super patient, and I really appreciate it!**

 **Till next time!**


	2. There May Be Someone Who Loves Me Anyway

**Hello my lovelies! I am through with exams! Haven't got all my grades back yet, but so far I've got two A's! V excited. And nervous. But mostly excited.**

 **Thank all of you so much for your support and encouragement over the past week! I know you all have been looking forward to getting another chapter of this, and I'll be honest: I don't like this chapter as much as I liked the first one. But good news!**

 **THERE ARE GOING TO BE THREE CHAPTERS!**

 **I got a little carried away with it (as per usual) so you guys get another chapter after this!**

 **WARNINGS: Mentioned child abuse. Nothing graphic.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything or anyone.**

 **SPOILERS: Season four and five in regards to the Holt family. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN SEASON FOUR AND FIVE, DON'T READ.**

* * *

They had done it.

It had taken them the better part of three years, but they had finally defeated Zarkon. They had lingered for another six months or so, just to make sure that he was really gone, but now they were heading home—with Matt and Commander Holt in tow.

The older man still had a smile for everyone, but his back was permanently damaged—not badly, but enough to hurt him if he tried to life anything too heavy—from being forced to work in the Galra slave mines.

Matt's face was scarred from the prison riot that had freed him from the Galra, and he walked with a slight limp, courtesy of Shiro. The older boy had apologized for the wound so many times in the first week that Matt had finally just put his head in his hands and started laughing. "Dude," he'd said. "I have a limp. Big whoop. Without this, I would be _dead_. You saved my life, Shiro! Would you _please_ stop apologizing now?!"

Pidge was a lot taller, almost to Coran's shoulders. Her hair was longer, past her shoulders, and it had darkened. She had her own battle scars, but most them were hidden beneath her clothes. She was small and thin, but every inch of her was pure muscle, and anyone who tried to mess with her would sorely regret it.

Keith was perhaps the most changed. His hair was long enough to tie back now, and there were scars all down his forearms from where his Marmora armor hadn't been able to hold up against an explosion two years ago. His Galra blade was still tucked into his belt—right next to a communicator with a direct link to Krolia. His Galra heritage had kicked in at some point, making his eyes a more vivid purple, and his teeth a little too sharp, and he had gained nearly a foot of height, passing even Lance. But the real change was on the inside. Gone was the furious, bitter young orphan who hated the world for taking everything from him. In his place was a powerful warrior and a good man, who smiled for his friends and fiercely loved his family. He was still pretty awkward when it came to social interaction, but he had a heart of gold and they all knew it.

Shiro hadn't changed much. There were a few new scars to add to the souvenirs from his Champion days, but other than that, he was still the warm-hearted, kind man who was fiercely good and protective of the ones he loved. His Galra arm had long been replaced with an Altean prosthetic, designed by Pidge, Hunk, and—surprisingly—Lance. The Cuban boy was the only one who could even hope to vaguely understand Pidge and Hunk's science-y babble.

Lance had somehow gotten even taller—but still not quite as tall as Keith, much to his horror. He was still _"skinny as a quiznaking beanpole, ancients above, Lance, do you even eat_?!" but he had filled out more. His back was a mess, from both his father and the explosion he'd saved Coran from, and there was a long scar down the side of his face from Haggar's final attack. It bisected his right eyebrow and ran down to his mouth, making his smile crooked. He still told jokes and flirted and taunted, but it was all done with sparkling eyes, and he got more laughter than groans nowadays. He was a rock for the other Paladins, and all of them—Coran and Allura included—often found themselves seeking him out for comfort or encouragement.

In turn, each of them opened their hearts to him. He went to Shiro with his nightmares, and Hunk with his homesickness. Pidge when he was lonely, and Keith when he was afraid. Coran when he wanted to _do something_ , and Allura when he just needed to be held and told that he mattered.

And everyone was ecstatic to finally be heading back to Earth.

Everyone…except Lance.

Whenever one of the others started talking about what was waiting back home, the tall boy would quietly leave the room, reappearing when the conversation was over.

"Why does he do that?" Matt finally asked one day.

He'd been telling a story about a fishing trip with his dad that had gone very, very wrong in a truly hilarious manner, but Lance had slipped out the door almost as soon as the words "Dad and I" passed his lips. Every Paladin and Altean in the room had watched him go with eyes so full of pain, you could _hear_ their hearts breaking. Matt had finished his story, but now he was curious.

"Do what?" Pidge looked at the floor.

"Leave every time somebody starts talking about their family," Matt's brows furrowed. "He—he does _have_ a family, right?"

Keith snorted.

Shiro ran his hand through his hair, suddenly looking very old. "Lance…his…" he sighed. "It's not our story to tell."

"You can tell him," Lance's quiet voice came from the door. They turned to see him leaning on the wall, hands in his hoodie pockets. "It's fine."

Pidge threw a pillow at him, and he caught it easily as she glowered at him.

"It is _not_ fine!" she and Keith half-yelled in unison.

Lance held up both hands in the universal "I surrender" motion. He turned to look at Matt, tiny smile still on his face. "My mom passed away when I was five," he said. "My dad didn't really know how to make it without her, and he ended up at the bottom of a bottle."

Matt sucked in a sharp breath, and Commander Holt turned pale.

Lance shrugged self-consciously. "It's just…I mean, you're talking about fishing, and I was probably digging fenceposts or something."

Shiro frowned. Lance was three shades paler than he usually was, and there were dark shadows under his eyes, as if he hadn't been sleeping. And even though the boy's hands were in his pockets, he could see little anxious movements through the fabric. Shiro stepped forwards, lightly pulling at Lance's hands until he surrendered and pulled them out of his hoodie. They were shaking, so the Black Paladin closed his own fingers around Lance's.

"What's really the problem here?" Shiro asked.

Lance tried to look away, but Shiro wouldn't let him. "Lance," the older boy said gently. "Don't hide. You promised you wouldn't do that anymore, remember?"

Lance sighed, looking down at the floor.

"I don't…I don't wanna go home," he whispered. "I'm…I'm afraid of what he'll do to me."

Shiro's mouth dropped open.

"Did nobody tell him?!" Pidge shrieked.

"Shiro!" Keith did not sound happy.

"I totally forgot," Shiro slapped his own forehead. "Quiznak, I'm an idiot."

Keith and Pidge looked like they were about to start breathing fire.

"You _forgot?!"_ Allura could have frozen the Sahara solid with the ice in her voice. "Shiro! It's been _two quiznaking years!_ And you just _forgot?!_ "

Coran and Hunk didn't say anything, but from their crossed arms and twitching eyebrows, they were far from pleased.

"Wh-what?" Lance looked around. "I don't—I don't understand."

Keith strode forward, gently gripping Lance's shoulders. "You're not going back to your dad," he said, meeting Lance's eyes. "You're going home with me and Shiro."

Tears flooded the blue eyes, and his breathing hitched.

Keith smiled softly. "You never have to go back there again. I promise."

"I—you—what?" Lance got out, a desperate hope beginning to burn in his eyes. "You—you _want_ me?"

Keith wrapped him up in his arms. "Yeah," he said as Lance clung to him. "Yeah, we really, really do."

"I mean, if that's what _you_ want, Lance," Shiro interjected.

Lance waved one hand in his general direction until he caught hold of Shiro's vest and dragged him into the hug as well.

Keith snorted. "You're like a freaking octopus," he muttered, but with a fond smile.

Shiro wrapped his arms around both of them.

"And you're like a freaking cactus," Lance grumbled, but he didn't let go, and neither did the other two.

"A cactus?!" Keith squawked, indignant.

"You're from Texas, aren't you?"

"That doesn't even make _sense_!"

" _You_ don't even make sense!"

"What does that even mean?!"

Shiro groaned dramatically. "Lord help me, there are two of them."

"Hey, this was your idea," Keith reminded him.

Lance caught his breath as they broke their embrace. "Are you—are you _sure_ that you want _me_ to stay with you?" he asked warily. "I mean, I'm—" he raked his fingers through his hair. "I'm pretty screwed up, and I'm not exactly family material, and I'm kind of a mess, and—"

"Yeah," Keith cut him off with a small smile. "Me, too."

"Um, hello?" Shiro gestured with his prosthetic arm and pointed to his face.

Lance went white. "Oh, _quiznak_ I didn't mean to—"

"Whoa, whoa," Shiro soothed. "That's not the point. The point is that we're all pretty screwed up, kiddo. You'll fit perfectly. And yes, before you ask. We are absolutely, one hundred percent positive that we want you to come home with us. Okay?"

Lance nodded enthusiastically. "Okay," he said, and Keith grinned.

"Awesome. I can't wait to introduce you to Ma and Pa." Keith put a hand on Lance's shoulder and steered him to a place on the couch between him and Pidge. "Pa is actually really great with kids like us. He's this great big man, but he's super gentle and absolutely amazing."

Commander Holt drifted over to Shiro, who was still standing behind the couches. They watched the boys for a moment: Keith gesturing wildly as he described their home and parents, and Lance's blue eyes sparkling, drinking it all in. The other Paladins, Matt, and the Alteans gathered around, all laughing and throwing out comments here and there.

"It was bad, wasn't it?" the older man murmured.

Shiro's fists clenched. "We only saw the one memory by accident," he said, just as quiet. "And I was almost sick. It was…it was a nightmare. When it was all said and done, the man told him to clean up his mess. And he just… he just did it. Like it was nothing. Like it was normal. Then Lance went and found a blanket and tucked the monster in before he even thought about his own injuries."

Sam shook his head. "That kid is something else, isn't he?"

"You have no idea." Shiro smiled painfully. "He thinks that this is some sort of massive favor, that we're saving him or something. I don't think he realizes just how much of a blessing he is to us."

Sam smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, it looks like you've got the rest of his life to convince him of that."

Shiro's smile turned real and bright. "Yes sir," he said. "We intend to do just that."

* * *

Finally, finally, _finally_ Earth was before them again.

Allura didn't even bother trying to hide the Castle.

"If these _Garrison_ people do not welcome you back as the heroes that you are," she said, eyes glinting with determination, "then I shall eradicate their compound from existence and feed all of them to a Weblum."

Lance chuckled softly. "As much as I like that idea, you might wanna consider establishing slightly warmer relations with Earth before you go feeding their government officials to giant space-worms."

Shiro let out a long sigh. "Rats. And here I was hoping I'd get to watch Iverson get eaten."

The Holts exchanged mischievous looks, and Hunk, Lance, and Keith quickly backed away.

"Should we run?" Keith stage-whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Lance whispered back. "Hunk?"

"Yep, let's go."

Coran laughed.

"Alright, alright, settle down," Allura said sternly, but her mouth was pulling up at the corners. "We're entering the atmosphere."

"The Garrison has protocols for unknown spacecraft," Sam warned. "They might shoot us down if you're still planning on setting down next to the compound."

Allura smiled grimly. "I would like to see them try."

Sam blinked at her, and his glasses slid down his nose. "…Okay. That's not terrifying at all."

Keith snorted. "Oh, that's nothing. Just wait until you see her when she's really mad."

Sam edged away from the Princess. "I'd really rather—"

"Earth!" Hunk shouted, cutting him off mid-sentence.

In perfect sync, every human on the bridge snapped around and stared out the viewport. The Castle had barely breached the atmosphere, and already they could see blue skies, vibrant red deserts, distant green forests and vast, deep oceans.

"Home," Sam breathed, blinking away tears and pulling Matt and Pidge close.

"Aaaand Garrison troops," Shiro sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose.

Sure enough, three fighters were already approaching the Castle.

Allura punched the external comm unit controls. "This is the Princess Allura of the planet Altea," she said regally. "I will be landing my craft on this planet. I will also require a meeting with your leaders. This is not a request. I mean you no harm, but any show of force shall be met in kind and I can promise you now that it will be a very _short_ exchange." She cut the comms off and continued with the landing procedures without waiting for a reply.

"Whoa," Lance muttered, running his hands through his hair. "Note to self: do not _ever_ make Allura mad at me."

She snorted, and he shot her an unrepentant grin.

"Oh, please," she said. "Like I could ever be truly angry with you."

"Yeah!" Shiro threw an arm over Lance's shoulders. "You're like the really obnoxious little brother we never asked for but got stuck with anyway and now we don't know how in the universe we'd survive without you!"

Lance blushed and whined at the same time. "Shi-ro!"

Keith laughed softly, ruffling Lance's hair. "Well, he's definitely not wrong on the 'don't know what we'd do without you' part. After all, where would we be without our Sharpshooter? You _were_ the one to take Haggar down, remember?"

Lance's blue eyes went steely, and his back straightened. "She hurt my family. She had it coming."

Shiro's arm tightened around him, and the oldest boy dropped a kiss on the top of his head. "Thank you for that," he said softly.

The steel disappeared as quickly as it had come, and Lance shot him a bright, sunny grin. "No problem. Seriously, though, why does no one ever look _up_?!"

Matt and Allura laughed out loud, and Shiro chuckled as he released the boy with a clap on the back.

"Well, personally, I'm really glad she didn't," the rebel leader said with a huge grin. "And dude, that was a _really awesome shot._ "

Lance flushed. "Thanks, Matt."

"No problem, dude."

Pidge sighed and drifted over to Lance, absent-mindedly winding her wiry arms around his waist. "It's gonna be weird not seeing you every day. I'm really going to miss you."

Lance visibly melted. "Awww, I'm gonna miss you, too, Kit Kat!" he half-wailed, wrapping his arms around her.

Sam sighed, reaching out and patting Lance's shoulders. "There's no way we'll be keeping you kids separate," he said. "There'll be plenty of opportunities for you to get together."

"If Keith and Shiro hadn't already called dibs, we would totally take you with us," Pidge muttered into his stomach.

"I know, right?" Hunk sighed, meandering over to join the group hug. "I offered, but they'd already called him."

Coran pouted. "We offered first!"

Lance's eyes were very wide now, and he looked around the circle of people. "You—you _all_ wanted me?" he said, voice very small and very young.

Shiro could feel his heart breaking all over again.

Allura set the controls to autopilot, blatantly and purposefully ignoring any and all attempts made by the Garrison crafts to hail the Castle. She stepped up to Lance and pulled him into her arms.

"Yes. Every single one of us wanted you, Lance McClain," she said softly, kissing the top of his head. "Honestly, I'm still debating sneaking out and stealing you in the middle of the night."

He laughed, eyes sparkling. "Don't do that."

She pulled back, blinking rapidly. "Oh, I am going to miss that smile."

"You know, you guys can come back and visit whenever you want," Lance pointed out. "It's not like the Garrison can stop you."

Coran harrumphed. "That's for sure."

A notification went off on Allura's console, and she reluctantly let go of him, ruffling his hair. "Alright, that's the proximity alert. To your Lions, all of you. Let's show these good-for-nothing _mortals_ who we are."

The Paladins grinned at each other and took off for the Lion hangars.

Lance lingered one moment longer in the doorway, looking back at the older Holts and the two Alteans. "Thank you," he said softly, eyes glittering with sincerity.

He got four matching expressions with radiant smiles and love-filled eyes.

"Sure thing, kiddo," Sam said with a lopsided smile.

"You definitely earned it," Matt said.

Coran wiped his eyes. "It's been our pleasure, my boy."

Allura just smiled and blew him a kiss. "Te quiero, hermanito."

His smile got even brighter. She'd asked him to teach her some of his language soon after they'd discovered his story, and she was almost as fluent in it as he was.

"Y tu, hermana," he said warmly.

Then he took off for his Lion.

Allura sucked in a deep breath as the Lions flew out of their hangars and dropped into formation around the Castle.

"I truly don't know what we're going to do without all of you in this great big ship," she said.

Coran let out a manly whimper, and frantically blinked his eyes. "I'm not crying!" he said, loudly. "There's just…there's a lot of dust in here!"

The Holts chuckled.

"Well," Sam adjusted his glasses. "I think I can say with relative certainty that they're still going to be here more often than not." His eyes dimmed. "They are, I think, going to find their old lives a lot smaller than they remember. They're different now. We all are."

Matt nodded. "Oh, yeah. This place…" he spun around, spreading his arms to indicate the whole Castle. "…this place feels more like home now than Earth does."

Allura gave them a sad smile. "As much as I hate that," she said, "I must admit that it makes my heart happier to know that you consider this your home. The doors of the Castle of Lions shall always be open to you. I swear it upon the name of my father." She clasped one arm over her chest in an Altean gesture of respect. "It was an honor to fight beside you."

Sam and Matt saluted her in unison.

"The honor was ours, Princess," Commander Samuel Holt said. Then he grinned. "Now come on—I can't wait to see Iverson's face when he realizes that none of us are actually dead."

* * *

The Castle set down literally less than a hundred yards from the front doors of the Garrison.

The Paladins had formed Voltron, but remained up in the clouds, hidden from their sight—and their equipment, thanks to Pidge and Matt.

Allura descended the ramp with all the grace and poise that went with her rank, and Lance laughed until he cried at the look on Iverson's face as he spoke with her and Coran.

Then the Holt men stepped out, and even Keith was howling by the time Iverson finally managed to pull himself together.

Allura had a very smug, satisfied little smile on her face as she raised one hand—not high, just to shoulder height—and brushed a strand of silver hair behind her ear.

"That's our cue, guys," Shiro said, and there was a gleeful undercurrent to his voice that had the rest of them snorting again. "Break apart right above the Castle. Pidge and Keith, land closest to the Castle. Hunk and Lance, between the others and the Garrison. I'll drop behind the Princess and the others."

"Yes, sir."

"Aye-aye, Captain!"

"Oh, this is going to be _fun…_ "

"Oh, yeah!"

Voltron descended through the clouds in all his glory, and none of the Paladins could restrain their laughter at the screams and explosions of panic occurring down below.

"Oh, yeah," Shiro said. "Last thing, guys—land as hard as you possibly can. Lots of glowing eyes, lashing tails, and growling too, if you can swing it."

In response, Red let out an earth-shaking roar.

"Yeah," Lance grinned. "That 'bout sums it up."

Shiro laughed. "Then let's do this!"

Voltron split apart right above the Castle's highest spire, and Black hovered there as the others landed.

Green and Red impacted with enough force to send the Garrison tanks sliding backwards, knocking quite a few of the men off their feet. They had no time to regain their balance before Yellow and Blue slammed down, Yellow lashing his tail dangerously close to a tank and Blue roaring with _just_ a hint of a sonic wave—knocking Iverson flat.

Allura raised an eyebrow at the man, looking severely unimpressed, but the Paladins could see her eyes sparkling with satisfaction.

"Are you alright?" she asked him in a tone of voice that suggested that she didn't really care. Neither the Holts nor Coran made any move to help the man back to his feet.

Black chose that moment to crash down, summoning just enough of the Astral Plane to shimmer around her and all the other Lions, adding just that much more awe to the image they presented.

"F-fine," Iverson growled when he managed to pick his jaw up off the ground, quickly standing and dusting himself off. "What are—wait, I've seen that thing before!" He pointed at Blue, and she lashed her tail and snarled.

Lance _shrieked_ with laughter as Iverson went pale and flinched away from her.

Allura full out glared. "That _thing_ is the Blue Lion of Voltron, and the only reason your planet was not enslaved by the Galra Empire three years ago. You would do well to show her—and her pilot—the respect they deserve."

Iverson nodded so rapidly he looked like a bobble-head.

"Oh my gosh, this is even better than I'd hoped for!" Hunk laughed.

"Iverson looks like he's about to need a change of pants!" Pidge crowed.

Shiro lost it, laughing so hard he started snorting.

"Pidge, stop it," Keith gasped. "Allura's gonna call us out in a minute, and _I can't stop laughing please help!"_

Of course, that did nothing but set the rest of them off in hysterics all over again.

Allura turned gracefully towards them. "If you would, my friends," she called.

"Alright," Shiro said, grim satisfaction filling his voice. "It's showtime."

The sharp sounds of Pidge cracking her knuckles echoed over the comms as the Lions straightened and, in perfect unison, lowered their heads and opened their mouths.

"Full visors, guys," Hunk said gleefully. "Iverson's not gonna know what hit him."

"Oh, he's gonna know what hit him alright," Keith growled. "He's gonna regret the day he ever dared say a word against my family."

And Lance really should have said something—after all, that was said with clear impending violence, and he _was_ basically Keith's impulse control—but he couldn't quite get his voice past the lump of emotions rising in his throat.

The Paladins strode down the ramps, coming together in formation behind their Princess.

"Commander Iverson," she said, voice icy, "This is the leader and head of Voltron, the Black Paladin. He commands the Voltron Coalition, and planned most of our battles."

Shiro stepped forwards and pulled his helmet off in one smooth motion.

Iverson's eye bugged out so far, Lance was half afraid it was going to fall out. "Shirogane?!" the man half-shouted.

Shiro gave him a tight, bitter smile. "Commander."

Allura went on as though she hadn't noticed Iverson's sputtering.

"The Red Paladin is the second in command, the right arm of Voltron. He is our weapons specialist, and hand-to-hand expert. He is also the second in command of our intelligence division."

Keith pulled off his helmet and didn't even try to be civil. He just glared.

Iverson instinctively took a half-step back. " _Kogane?!"_

Allura's lips twitched up. "The Green Paladin is the left arm of Voltron, and our tech expert." Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "You might even say our communications officer."

Lance and Hunk shook in place as they fought to subdue their laughter.

Pidge yanked her helmet off and _glared_. "Iverson," she spat. "You are a coward and a liar, and you are going to regret the day you told me to give up on my family."

The Commander forcefully snapped his jaw shut. "Ms. Holt," he said stiffly.

"The Yellow Paladin is the left leg of Voltron, and our residential mechanical expert," the Princess continued.

Hunk pulled his helmet off, and his normally warm eyes were hard as stone. "Iverson," he said.

"Garret," Iverson shook his head in disbelief. "And let me guess…little Blue over here is McClain?"

Allura's smile was sharp and dangerous. "The Blue Paladin is the right leg of Voltron, the sharpshooter of our team, and the savior of your planet. He is the heart of Voltron, and none of us would be standing here without him. You would do well to remember that."

Lance stepped forwards and pulled his helmet off. "Commander Iverson," he greeted with a smile. "It's good to see you, sir."

He held out his hand, and stifled his laughter at the absolutely dumbstruck look on the other man's face as Iverson gaped at him, taking in the boy's filled out frame and the scar on his face. The Commander automatically reached out and shook his hand.

Allura stepped forwards. "Now," she said briskly. "Introductions are out of the way. We can get down to business. I want my Paladins' families brought in. Immediately. Also, I will require access to your star charts and defense systems. Do not try to defy me, I have neither the patience to deal with you nor the will to try. You will allow my Paladins access to any information they require. While we have defeated the Galra and placed an ally upon the throne, there are still large factions in revolt. Should they locate this planet, or discover its importance to my Paladins, they would attempt to destroy it. And as of right now, you wouldn't last longer than five doboshes." She spun sharply on her heel, then turned back.

"Oh, and Iverson?" her smile was very sharp and her eyes were hard. "If there is so much as one word spoken against my Paladins— _any of them—_ or any actions be made against them, I will take it as a declaration of war. Do you understand?"

The man turned white. "Y-yes, Your Majesty," he stammered.

Allura's smile went very grim and satisfied. "Good," she said softly. "See that you remember."

With that, the Princess of Altea strode into the Galaxy Garrison headquarters, flanked by her advisor and the five Paladins of Voltron.

Behind them, Iverson brought his fingers to his temples and closed his eyes.

What in the Sam Hill had just happened?

* * *

 **Aww, poor Iverson...not. It's gonna get a lot worse for him, I promise.**

 **And Lance's dad...who I just realized does not have a name...Yeah, he's doomed.**

 **Anyway! I'll get started on that chapter as soon as I can, but the Merlin AU is probably gonna be published next.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed, and remember: r** **eviews are love!**

 **Till next time!**


	3. After Eternity, At Long Last I'm Home

**Okay! Here is chapter three!**

 **It took forever, and I really don't like the ending, so I might alter that at some point, but I promised Shadowgeist1204 that I would get this up today, so voila!**

 **WARNINGS: Brief moment of child abuse, mentions of past child abuse.**

 **SPOILERS: Nope.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I TOTALLY OWN VOLTRON! *sirens go off in distance* I don't own anything.**

 **" _Speech in italics"_ —Altean**

* * *

 _After Eternity, At Long Last I'm Home_

* * *

The Paladins and Alteans were gathered in one of the more elaborate offices at the Garrison. There were a few couches around, some chairs and tables.

Shiro flopped down on one of the sofas and grinned up at the other Paladins. " _I have to say, the Garrison's hospitality has increased drastically since I was here last."_

Lance and Keith exchanged matching looks of exasperation and claimed the seats on either side of him.

" _You are ridiculous,"_ Keith grumbled, and Lance snorted.

" _Yeah, you're one to talk. The 80's called, and they said they want their hairstyle back."_ He smirked at the Red Paladin.

Keith raised an eyebrow. " _Wow_ ," he deadpanned, and Pidge dissolved into giggles.

The atmosphere was much more relaxed now, and the rest of Team Voltron found seats of their own. They talked of everything and nothing as they waited for their families to arrive.

A few hours later, there was a knock on the door, and a Garrison official stuck his head in.

"The Commander asked me to let you know that the jet is landing now," he said. "Your families will be escorted straight here. Shouldn't take longer than fifteen minutes."

Lance went white. His leg started bouncing, and his fingers were twisting together with enough force to leave red marks on his skin. Pidge planted herself in his lap and grabbed his hands while Shiro rested a comforting hand on his knee. He gave them each a smile of gratitude, but he was still clearly terrified.

Keith slipped around Shiro to Lance's other side and dropped his arm across the younger boy's shoulders. "Never again," he reminded him. "You're _our_ brother now, and there's nothing he can do about it."

Lance nodded, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

That was when the door slammed open. Lance flinched so violently that he almost threw Pidge straight off the couch.

The woman who had thrown the door open half screamed, "Sam! Matt! Katie!"

"Mom!" Pidge sobbed, flying across the room and crashing into the woman's waist. Matt bolted into her arms, and Sam wrapped his around all three of them. They sank to the floor, yelling and laughing and crying.

Kilo and Lila Garret came in next, looking just as frantic, and Hunk immediately burst into tears, diving into his parents' arms. His mother cried with him, and his father couldn't stop beaming as they embraced each other.

"Takashi! Keith!"

The Shiroganes came sprinting into the room, and Keith and Shiro's faces lit up like Christmas trees.

"Ma! Pa!" Shiro shouted as his mother literally leapt into the air and flung her arms around his neck. He caught her and held on tight as she sobbed into his shoulder, saying "I love you" over and over. Mr. Shirogane pulled Keith straight off the ground and Lance almost couldn't believe it when Keith broke down on the man's shoulder. They swapped parents in a moment, and Lance almost cried himself when Mrs. Shirogane wrapped Keith up and kissed his forehead and told him that she loved him as many times as she'd told Shiro. Their father held Shiro tight, and Lance's heart clenched as their fearless leader cried soundlessly into his father's chest.

He was so caught up in watching the other reunions that he completely forgot about his own.

That is, until a fist slammed into his jaw.

There was a sharp crack, pain _exploded_ across his face, and he hit the floor hard. He shook his head to dispel the ringing noise in his ears and looked up—and immediately scuttled backwards as fast as he could.

Someone swore harshly, but all Lance could see was his father.

Papa wasn't drunk—he was stone-cold sober, but there was so much rage in his eyes that Lance knew without a doubt that he was going to die.

"You stupid, worthless, waste of oxygen!" Papa roared, stalking after him as he crawled away. "Where have you been?!"

"Lo siento, Papa, please, por favor," he begged. His back hit the wall, and he curled into himself as tightly as he could, covering his head and praying that it would be over soon.

There was a sudden grunt then, and the sound of metal striking flesh, and then Keith's voice, warm and safe and _family._

"It's okay, Lance, you're okay. You're safe, I'm right here, you're alright—"

He flung himself forwards, not opening his eyes, trusting Keith to catch him. Sure enough, the older boy's arms wound around him tightly, the fingers of one hand burying themselves in his hair.

"I got you," Keith said in his ear. "I got you. You're safe."

A tiny body attached itself to his side—Pidge—and great, strong arms came from the opposite side—Hunk—and Matt's lanky frame pressed against his back.

"We've got you, buddy," the Holt boy murmured. "Don't you worry."

Allura's flowery scent surrounded him as she added her own arms to the embrace and pressed a kiss to his head. Coran's hand gripped his shoulder tightly.

Another hand—heavy and cold—rested on his other shoulder, and he heard Shiro's voice above him.

"He's coming home with us." There was no compromise there at all. It was a fact.

"Of course he is!" Mrs. Shirogane said sharply.

There was a groan from the general direction of the floor. "He's mine—" Papa's voice started, but then Keith actually _snarled_ , and Allura pulled away sharply.

The Princess took two steps, and then there was the sound of a hard blow, and Papa's voice cut off.

"Like _Hell_ he is," Keith growled. "He's _ours._ "

"Guard!" Allura roared, fury clear in her voice.

"Yes ma—what happened here?!"

"Get this man out of my sight."

"But ma'am—"

"Did I stutter, _boy_?!"

"N-no, ma'am."

"Then _get him out of here._ _ **NOW**_."

"Y-yes'm."

There was the sound of something being dragged along the floor, but Lance didn't care. He was safe. His family had him, and _that man_ would never hurt him again.

"Dude," Pidge's voice was shaking. "What the actual _quiznak._ "

"Wow, okay, welcome home, me," Lance muttered, fingers pressed against his throbbing jaw. "OW, _quiznak_ that doesn't feel good."

"Stop, stop, stop," Shiro said, carefully pulling his hands away. "Don't mess with it, remember what happened on Ndiskei?"

"Right," Lance lowered his hands and turned his jaw towards his oldest brother.

"How does it look?" Allura asked, crouching down beside them.

"Dislocated," Shiro grumbled. "Oh, I didn't hit that piece of trash hard enough."

Keith growled under his breath. "At least you _got_ to hit him," he said grumpily.

"Okay, bud, gonna pop this back in place now," Matt said, tapping Lance's shoulder. "One shrug for okay, two for no."

Lance shrugged once.

"Alright, on three." The Holt boy took a careful grip on his jaw while Pidge held his head still. Shiro and Keith held his shoulders to make sure he didn't jerk away.

"One—" Matt relocated his jaw in one painful move.

"Nnh!" Lance worked it open and shut a few times before glaring at his friend. "What happened to two and three?!"

"Two, three," Matt grinned with no shame. Then concern clouded his eyes again, and he raised an eyebrow in a nonverbal question. _You okay?_

Lance clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a smile. _I'm fine._

Hunk sniffed and pulled Lance up before engulfing him in a hug. "So proud of you," the bigger boy said, gently rubbing his back and dispelling the trembling that Lance hadn't even realized was there. "You're okay, hermano. He's gone for good now."

"I swear it, love," Allura kissed his temple. "I swear upon the Ancients that he shall _never_ so much as lay eyes on you ever again."

Lance gave her a smile, small but real, and she smiled at him and kissed his forehead, wiping away his tears.

"There's my warrior," she said quietly, and his heart lightened.

"Reporting for duty, M'Lady," he said with a rakish smile, and she laughed out loud.

Pidge snorted and punched him, ignoring her mother's horrified gasp. "You are really awful, you know that?"

"But of course, Katy-Cat," he said, widening his eyes and blinking them with mock innocence. "It's just part of my charm."

She rolled her eyes and turned to walk back to her mother. "Right."

Lance eyed her unprotected back for a long moment, then met Matt's eyes with a devious grin. In perfect sync, the boys leapt.

Pidge twisted at the last possible second, catching Matt's arm and using his own velocity against him as she threw him over her head and slammed him into the ground. Lance hit the floor with a somersault, then spun with an extended leg, knocking Pidge flat. Her mother yelped as he pounced, pinning her legs and one arm.

"Get her!" he yelled, and Matt grabbed her other arm and proceeded to tickle her to tears.

"I will _end you both_!" she screeched, and Sam burst out laughing.

"Of course you will, Katie," he said warmly.

The boys released her, still grinning, and Lance just laughed harder when Pidge instantly tackled Matt in revenge. Sam offered the slender boy a hand up, and Lance took it with a bright smile and no fear.

"You alright?" Sam asked him quietly, hand settling on his shoulder.

Lance's smile faded, but his eyes were resolute as he nodded.

Sam nodded back and let him go. He turned to face Katie and Matt, sighing in exasperation when he saw them. Pidge had her brother pinned in a truly painful manner, and was shouting, "Say Uncle! Say it! Say it!"

Keith, Hunk, Allura, and Coran were laughing, and Shiro was trying to convince her to let go.

"He looks like he could use some help," Lance said, biting his lip in an attempt to smother his own laughter, and Sam sighed again before trudging off to rescue his son.

Lance shook his head with a wide grin.

"Sir Lancelot," said a teary female voice behind him, and his face lit up.

"Auntie Lila!" he crowed, whipping around and throwing his arms around Hunk's mother.

She was crying softly, and she held him _tight_ for a long moment. "Oh, I have _missed_ that bright smile of yours," she said. "Baby, why didn't you say anything? We would have taken you in a heartbeat."

"I know," he said, voice muffled by her shoulder. "It just…I honestly didn't even think about it. It wasn't always that bad, and I…this is going to sound really awful. I was just so used to it that it never even occurred to me to tell anybody."

She let go of him and framed his face with her hands, teary brown eyes staying locked on his bright blue.

"You are the strongest boy I know, Lance McClain," she whispered fiercely. "And we love you dearly."

Lance started to answer when her husband's deep voice rang out behind her.

"All of us." He put a hand on Lance's shoulder gently—but Kilo was so big that he nearly knocked the Paladin over—and stepped around so they were eye to eye. He grinned.

"What _happened_ to you, Spark Plug?"

Lance's smile got impossibly wider at the cherished nickname. "Hola, Uncle Kilo."

"What did they _feed_ you up there?!" the mechanic exclaimed. He stepped back, looking him up and down. "You're almost a foot taller than you were, and you were already pushing six feet!"

"And your scars, sweetheart," Lila gently stroked the silver scar on his face. "What happened, honey?"

"I can tell you that one," Shiro said from behind him. He stepped up, wrapping his human arm around Lance's shoulders. "As you know, the Holts and I were the first to disappear, nearly—quiznak, has it really been four years?!—nearly four years ago. We were captured by an alien race, and forced into various slave labors. I personally was made into a gladiator." He swallowed hard and gestured at his Altean arm and the scar over his nose. "I was experimented on by their scientists, and one of them, Haggar, took a particular interest in me. She was a figure of very high authority, and was one of our greatest enemies. During the final battle with her, she managed to disarm and corner me. Lance didn't even hesitate. He took her on to protect me, and he beat the tar out of her while he was at it. That mark is the only time she actually managed to land a hit on him. He saved my life."

"Shi-ro," Lance whined, burying his very red face in his hands.

Kilo and Lila were silent for a long moment, and when Lance dared to peek up, they were both looking at him with nothing but love.

"Boy, if I was any prouder of you, I'd bust," Kilo said bluntly.

Lila laughed and kissed Lance's forehead. "I'm not even surprised. Your heart has always been bigger and stronger than anyone else I've ever met, and it is about time that the rest of the world saw it, too."

Lance teared up and dove into her arms again.

"Now," Kilo's face hardened, and he shot a look of pure hatred at the door that Mr. McClain had been dragged out of. "Where you going, boy? You're not going back to that house. Ever. We've got an extra room upstairs, you know."

"I knoooowwww," Hunk mock wailed, draping himself over Lance from behind and nearly sending him to the floor. "I really wanted him, but I got outbid." He sighed.

"Right?" Pidge crossed her arms and pouted. "We wanted him too, but—"

"They got there first," Matt finished with a mock glare at Shiro and Keith.

Keith gave them all a lazy, cat-ate-the-canary smile. "Early bird gets the worm."

Pidge growled, and the Holt siblings and Hunk lunged at the half-Galra. He gave a very feline yowl of displeasure as he was all but flattened beneath their combined body weight.

"Shiro!" he yelled. "SOS!"

Shiro yawned and turned to Lance. "Hey, Lance, do you hear the squeaking of a very miniscule kitten? It's very high-pitched—"

" _SHIRO!"_

"—and honestly, it's kind of annoying." Shiro shrugged and wandered off towards his parents, who were talking with Allura, Coran, and Mrs. Holt.

"So…" Lila looked away from the cat fight on the floor and met Lance's eyes again. "You _do_ have somewhere to go?"

"Yeah," Lance said softly. "They—They had like, a twenty-minute argument over who got to take me home." He looked down, flushing happily. "They all really, legitimately wanted me. Allura actually threatened to sneak in and steal me in the middle of the night. Had to talk her out of it." He laughed quietly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Still not a hundred percent sure I succeeded."

Lila cupped his jaw and made him look at her. "Because they see what I see," she said, quiet but firm. "A strong, beautiful, bright, loving young boy whose smile is brighter than all the stars in the sky. You are a treasure, Lance McClain, and don't you ever forget it."

"Yes Ma'am," he said with smile, and Lila nodded firmly before pulling him into another hug. Kilo joined in, and then Hunk, and Lance didn't think it was actually possible to love these people any more than he already did.

"Hey, Sharpshooter!" Matt yelled from across the room.

Lance reluctantly broke away from the Garretts and jogged over to his friend. "Yeah, Rebel?"

"I want you to meet our mom." Matt gestured to the beautiful blonde woman standing next to him.

"Colleen Holt, right?" Lance asked.

"That's me. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lance." She smiled and held out her hand to shake, but Lance swooped low and kissed it instead.

"The pleasure is all mine, ma'am," he said with a cheeky grin, and she laughed in delight.

Pidge groaned and dramatically collapsed on the Blue Paladin, who caught her with a muffled laugh. "Why are you like this."

"Katie!" Mrs. Holt said sharply.

"No, no, don't worry about it, Mrs. Holt," he said earnestly. "It's fine, really. It's just how we are. See?" he took a quick step back, and Pidge yelped as he dropped her on the floor.

Mrs. Holt gave him a worried look, and Lance couldn't believe how much care and kindness he could see in the eyes of someone he'd just met five minutes ago.

Pidge groaned from the floor. "I hate you."

"Hate you, too, Gremlin," Lance replied cheerfully, and Matt shook his head and lightly shoved Lance's shoulder with a grin.

Mrs. Holt couldn't hold on to her frown anymore, and had to laugh. "If I didn't know better, I'd say the three of you were siblings," she joked.

Pidge flipped back to her feet with her usual grace and gave her mother a serious look. "Because we are, Mom. We've been fighting a war together for years. Matt's been back with us for three, but Lance has been with me the entire time. There is no one else in all the Galaxy that I would trust more to have my back."

Lance blushed. "Hey, come on. I just shoot stuff. You're the technological genius. You and Hunk design and build all of our upgrades, and between the two of you and Coran, the Castle is in better shape than it ever has been before."

Pidge gaped at him. " _Just shoot stuff?!"_ Her face turned red, and she looked like she was about to grow horns and fangs and start breathing fire.

"Uh-oh," Matt muttered, and the boys took a step back in unison.

Lance held up his hands nervously. "Ha ha, did I say that? Of course not! I am brave and smart and a wonderful human being who deserves every good thing in this Galaxy."

" _And?_ " Pidge growled.

"And I am the most fabulous, incredible Sharpshooter in this and every other reality," he recited.

"That's better." Pidge relaxed, and Matt and Lance breathed a sigh of relief.

Colleen laughed until there were tears sparkling in her eyes, and she turned to Lance, opening her arms.

"May I?" she asked, and Lance nodded.

She swept forward, wrapping him gently but firmly in her arms. "Thank you," she whispered tearfully in his ear. "For all that you have done for my family. I don't think I can ever repay you."

He returned her embrace with a low chuckle. "Honestly, I think it's gonna be me not being able to pay your kids back. The sheer number of times that they saved me is kind of ridiculous."

Pidge growled again, and Lance broke away from Colleen to throw his hands up in exasperation. "It's just a fact, Pidge! The two of you _have_ saved my life like, a gajillion times!"

"First of all, that's not a word," Pidge crossed her arms and started tapping her foot. "And secondly—"

Lance groaned. "Yes, I _know_ I've saved you just as many times. That is so not the point!"

Colleen started laughing, and Sam threw his arm around her shoulders with a wide grin.

"Come on, Kiddos," he chuckled. "We just finished a war. Let's not start another one, yeah?"

The Holt siblings snorted, and Lance had to snicker.

"Yes, sir!" they barked in unison, snapping off salutes, and Sam groaned.

"Hey, Lance!" Keith shouted. "Get over here!"

Lance gave the Holt family one last wave before jogging to his brother. "Yeah?"

Keith grabbed his arm and tugged him over to Shiro and his parents, and Lance felt his nerves creeping back up on him.

Keith obviously felt him dragging, and turned with a small smile. "It's going to be okay, Lance," he said, low and strong. "I promise."

Lance took a deep breath and nodded, and tightened his grip on Keith's arm.

"Ma! Pa!" the taller boy called.

They turned, and before Lance could blink, he was being hugged within an inch of his life by Mrs. Shirogane.

"You're coming home with us," she said softly, stroking his hair. "You will always have a home with us, no matter what. Tomorrow, after you boys have settled in and gotten a proper night's sleep and some good food, we'll have a conversation about what kinds of things will trigger you and what we need to avoid."

"Oh, that's not—" Lance stuttered, his arms automatically coming up around the woman.

"They did it for me, too," Keith said, tousling Lance's hair. "Don't try to fight it. Ma's about on par with Allura when it comes to sheer force of will."

That startled a laugh out of Lance. "Well, in that case."

He pulled back and shot Mrs. Shirogane a roguish smile and swept her an elegant bow, kissing her hand just as he had with Mrs. Holt.

Her eyebrows went shooting up, and Keith groaned while Shiro and his father burst out laughing.

"Hola, Senora," Lance said, straightening and letting his grin fall into something smaller and much more sincere. "It is an honor to meet you."

Her eyes sparkled. "Hola, Lance," she said. "Me llamo Aiko. Encantado."

Lance's eyebrows went up. "Usted hablas espanol?" he asked, hope rising in his chest.

"Si, mijo," she said, laughing. "Mi esposo, tambien!"

Lance turned to Mr. Shirogane, and the man smiled. "Bienvenido a casa, pequeno," he said softly, and Lance felt tears sting his eyes.

"Look out, Pa," Keith teased gently. "That's the hugging look. You're about to get tackled."

Mr. Shirogane chuckled, and held out his hand. "Hakaru Shirogane," he said.

Lance gripped it firmly. "Lance McClain," he said softly. "Thank you, sir."

"Don't sweat it, kid," he said cheerfully, using the hold on Lance's hand to pull him into a gentle embrace. "It's the least you deserve."

"Oh," Lance said in a very small voice.

Keith laughed, warm and happy, and dove into the hug himself, one arm around Lance and the other around his father. Shiro and Aiko were quick to join, and Lance found himself totally surrounded by people who actually loved and wanted him.

He blinked back tears and wrapped his own arms around them as tightly as he possibly could.

 _Welcome home,_ Hakaru had said.

Looking around him, at the Holts, the Garretts, the Alteans, and his—his _family?! He had a family again!_ —Lance couldn't help but believe him.

Home at last, after so many years.

" _Gracias,_ " he whispered, and four pairs of arms just tightened in response.

"You are ours now, mijo," Aiko said softly. She kissed his cheek. "And we will never let go of you."

He buried his face in her shoulder, and couldn't stop the overjoyed, overwhelmed tears from escaping his eyes.

"I promised, Little Brother," Shiro said with a grin and too-bright eyes. "Remember?"

Lance pulled away from the family hug and tackled him, and Shiro laughed softly as he caught him.

"Thank you, Shiro," he whispered fiercely.

Shiro cupped the back of his head with one hand and held him tight. "You are so welcome, Lance."

"Oi, don't I get any credit?" Keith complained from behind them.

Lance laughed and spun around, throwing his arms around his other big brother. Keith squeezed him tight before letting go and ruffling his hair affectionately.

"Let's go home, boys," Aiko said with a wide, beautiful smile, and all three of them beamed back at her.

"Race you to the car?" Lance said tauntingly, and Keith's smile turned devious.

"Last one there's a rotten egg!" he hollered, taking off with no warning.

"Hey, no fair!" Lance shouted, sprinting after him. "I don't even know what the car looks like!"

"Maybe you should have thought of that earlier!"

"Get back here, you idiots! You don't even know where they parked!" Shiro yelled, running after them and trying to pretend he wasn't laughing as hard as they were.

* * *

Their laughter echoed down the hall, and Aiko's heart warmed to hear the pure joy in all three of her sons' voices. She stared after them as Hakaru drifted over to speak with Kilo Garrett.

She couldn't help her sad smile at the thought of her third boy. Lance was such a beautiful, bright soul. The thought of that man hurting him…Aiko Shirogane was not a violent woman, but seeing that wretched being _strike her boy_ — _ooohhhh._ That man was just lucky that Shiro had gotten to him before she had.

"You are Mrs. Shirogane, correct?" asked a smooth, cultured voice from behind her.

She turned, and came face to chest with a tall, regal looking woman with silver hair and— _pointed ears?!_

The woman smiled. "I am Allura of Altea," she said softly.

Aiko blinked, then smiled warmly and held out her hand. "Aiko Shirogane," she said. "You are the one who lead them, yes?"

Allura's smile softened as she firmly shook her hand. "Yes," she said softly. "They are my family now." Her eyes grew sharp. "I am entrusting them to you, Aiko Shirogane of Earth. Do not betray my trust."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Aiko answered, eyes flashing in kind. "They are my children now, and Lord have mercy on any who dare lay a hand on them ever again."

The Princess's smile widened, and she bowed slightly. "That is all I needed to hear," she said. "Thank you, Aiko Shirogane of Earth. For giving him a home again."

The royal swept away before Aiko could reply, and when her husband asked what the Princess had wanted, she could only shake her head and smile.

One thing was for sure: Lance McClain would never again know what it was like to be unwanted. He had a real family now, one that would cross the universe for him.

So Aiko Shirogane smiled, and went to chase down her errant sons.

* * *

 _Me llamo Aiko. Encantado:_ My name is Aiko. Happy to meet you.

 _Usted hablas espanol:_ You speak Spanish?

 _Si, mijo. Mi esposo, tambien:_ Yes, my son. My husband, as well!

 _Bienvenido a casa, pequeno:_ Welcome home, little one.

 **So, I used a combination of Google and my own knowledge for these translations, so if I butchered them, let me know!**

 **And there you have it!**

 **I Swear I'm Not Broken (Just Don't Look Too Close) is now complete. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!**

 **Until next time!**


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